Anywhere in the country, text:

Street Talk Newsletter

Psychopathy or Sociopathy?

With less than 30 days left to serve on 18 months for fraud, Donald, age 30, faked an illness and escaped from the prison hospital. He began his “new” life by passing himself off as the “field executive” of an international philanthropic foundation, enlisting several religious organizations in a fundraising campaign.

Ten months later, he was re-captured. During the trial for this offense, it became evident he experienced no sense of wrongdoing. He even stated that most people who donate to charity do so because they feel guilty about something, and they deserve to be bilked out of their money. He is now back in jail for fraud, bigamy, false pretenses, and escaping lawful custody.

Does Donald demonstrate traits of psychopathy or sociopathy?

Granted, it’s not an officer’s responsibility to diagnose someone, much less determine if the person’s behavior fits the profile of a psychopath, sociopath, or something totally different. But, given the nature of your work and the stereotyping we see in films and mass media, it’s important to note that the terms psychopath and sociopath are not interchangeable.

In fact, some experts in psychiatry, psychology or criminology no longer use either of the terms. Instead, they use the term Antisocial Personality Disorder, which is one of three clusters of diagnoses within the overarching category of Personality Disorders. Nonetheless, the two terms are still used in some settings, so it’s informative to know there are overlaps in behavior, but also some very important differences.

The Overlaps
Both psychopathy and sociopathy consist of a pervasive disregard for the safety or rights of others. Deceit and manipulation are also central characteristics. Contrary to popular belief, a psychopath or sociopath is not necessarily violent, as in the case of Donald, and certainly not all are torturers or killers. One might be surprised to find out that many high-level, mega-corporation executives meet the diagnostic criteria for psychopathy. They’ve just channeled their behavior in a different direction.

Where Does It Begin?
Psychopathy is believed to be mostly the result of nature and genetics. It’s related to a physiological defect, resulting in underdevelopment in the parts of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions.

Sociopathy is more likely the result of environment, typically severe childhood trauma and/or abuse. Because sociopathy appears to be learned rather than innate, these individuals might be capable of empathy in very limited circumstances or with only a few individuals.

While the prevalence of psychopathy or sociopathy is estimated at less than 1% less in the general population, it’s probably no surprise that the rate is around 35 percent in the incarcerated population.

The Big Differences

Pscyhopathy

Sociopathy

No conscience

Weak conscience

More manipulative and calculating than a sociopath

More likely to "blend in" than a psychopath

Can pretend to care about others' feelings

Less able to "play along"

Often very intelligent, charming, and able to mimic emotions

Often impulsive

Usually callous, yet charming

Often displays irritability

Can be almost obsessively organized

Less organized in demeanor; might be nervous, easily agitated, quick to anger

Can typically maintain social relationships

Difficulty establishing or maintaining relationships

Often very successful in career

Difficulty achieving career goals and maintaining employment

Much of the information for this article was taken from the two following sources, if you’d like to check them out online.

The Psychopath Whisperer: The Science of Those Without Conscience, by Kent Kiehl, PhD, is a great non-fiction book, as engrossing and readable as a good novel. In it, you’ll learn about his traveling MRI machine, as well as the backstory and his interviews with famous and infamous folks with the disorder.

Oh, and about Donald? According to Robert D. Hare, creator of the PCL-R, the gold-standard assessment tool, Donald is a psychopath.